TELL CITY - The juggling by Dan Thurmon during a "summer institute" for area educators Friday at the Schergens Center was entertaining, particularly when he pick-ed up a machete, an ancient-looking battle axe and a modern hatchet.

A collective gasp escaped the audience of approximately 100 participants from Tell City-Troy Township and Perry Central Community schools moments later when the motivational speaker took up the same implements as he balanced atop a 6-foot-tall unicycle.

Diane Dickinson's fingers don't work as well as they used to. The effects of a stroke suffered more than a decade ago limit the movement of her hands and a fall that fractured a wrist didn't help. And then there's the arthritis. Yet all that doesn't stop the Navy veteran from creating handmade U.S. flags she presents to friends and local veterans.

TELL CITY - Five recent high-school graduates pursuing health-related careers will benefit from scholarships awarded by Perry County Memorial Hospital and its foundation. Three of the recipients were on hand June 25 to receive certificates and congratulations from hospital trustees during their regular meeting.

PERRY COUNTY - Governmental offices in the county will be closed Friday in observance of Independence Day. All city and county offices will be closed, as will state offices such as the Perry County Office of Family and Children and the Perry County License Branch.

The Perry County News will be closed Friday in observance of the holiday.

TELL CITY - Moose Lodge 1424's annual Independence Day picnic kicks into full gear today with games and food in Zoercher-Bettinger Park and a big fireworks show Friday night. The fun continues through Saturday evening.

Lodge members will serve barbecued-chicken and pork-chop dinners Thursday, Friday and Saturday with help from Ladies of the Moose. Serving begins at 4 p.m. Thursday and at 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

TELL CITY - The first round of a historical treasure hunt sponsored by the Tell City Sesquicentennial Committee drew plenty of interest last week and Mark Laflin, a member of the committee and coordinator of the project, hopes a second prize hidden this week will do the same.

PERRY COUNTY - Eleven local groups will share $33,955 to support substance-abuse prevention across the county. Grants were presented June 23 by the Perry County Substance Abuse Committee.

Money will be used for drug abuse prevention, treatment and anti-abuse educational programs. This year's grants were divided into three categories, prevention-education, treatment-intervention and law-enforcement-justice.

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. - Max Heath, former general manager and editor of The Perry County News and longtime executive editor of Landmark Community Newspapers Inc., retired June 30.

Heath was a key contributor to LCNI's growth over the years as it added publications in several states. A 35-year LCNI veteran, he had been with the company since its purchase by Landmark Communications in 1973 and had worked for its predecessor company, Newspapers Inc., since March 1969.